Biography
Peeters studied Germanic philology and drama in Antwerp. There, he met Jan Leyers and Hugo Matthysen, with whom he worked later. In 1972, Peeters, still a teenager, played the title role in teen drama Bart Banninks. He went on to present some comedy and music shows aimed at teenagers. In 1978, Bart Peeters, Hugo Matthysen, Jan Leyers and Marc Kruithof played in a coverband called Beri Beri, but as a musician, Bart Peeters gained his fame with The Radios. This band (with Ronny Mosuse, Robert Mosuse, Dany Lademacher, Alain Van Zeveren and Marc Bonne) had an international hit with 'She Goes Nana' in 1991.
Television career
After gaining fame his television career took off, starting out with a main role in the now legendary series Dag Sinterklaas in which he visited Sinterklaas (played by Jan Decleir) in his castle. After that, he presented some of the most popular television shows in Flanders, such as De Droomfabriek and De Leukste Eeuw. Het Peulengaleis, a television spin-off from Het Leugenpaleis, a radio comedy show he presented together with Hugo Matthysen, gained a large cult following. He became the most popular television personality in Flanders, being selected to present large one-off shows such as the celebration show for 50 years of television in Flanders or the tsunami relief telethon and presenting some television shows in The Netherlands.
Music was always present in his television career: he presented the Flemish selection show for the Eurovision Song Contest several times, had his own talent show (De Grote Prijs Bart Peeters) and presented several music shows (Lalala Live, Nonkel Pop,). During this time, he was also the drummer for The Clement Peerens Explosition, a parody rock band that started in his radio show Het Leugenpaleis.
Solo career
After touring as Bart Peeters zonder circus (Bart Peeters without circus) and making a solo album based on the tour called Het Plaatje van Bart Peeters (The Record of Bart Peeters) in 2004, he decided to spend more time on music again, starting a proper solo career. In 2006 he made Slimmer dan de Zanger (More Clever Than the Singer) and in 2008 he released his third album, De Hemel in het Klad (Draft of Heaven), which went straight to number one in the Flemish charts. A fourth album titled De Ideale Man (The Ideal Man), said to be the third of a trilogy together with Slimmer dan de Zanger and De Hemel in het Klad, was released in October 2010. That same year, he won a Music Industry Award in Flanders for best Dutch-language artist, after which he released a compilation album called Het Beste en Tot Nog Eens (All the best and see you later) and took a break from recording music. In 2014, he made his comeback with Op de Groei (To Grow Into).
Personal life
Bart Peeters is married and has two daughters and a son. He lives in Hove near Antwerp.
Zeester Met Koffie
Bart Peeters Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
van de kleuterklas
In de rij en Juf katrien keek
of iedereen er was
We waren prachtig gedresseerd
goeiemorgen Juf Katrien
Ik stond tussen Bob en Magda
de rest kon ik niet zien
behalve Cynthia Roos
't ging niet om haar gekke naam
maar om haar boterhammendoos
In onze trommels zat gewoon
een boterham met ei
Maar vroeg je het aan Cynthia
weet je wat ze dan zei
Zeester met koffie en een mandarijn
Een boterkoek met confituur
en een stukje marsepein
Onze ogen vielen open
we waren nog heel klein
Zeester met koffie
en meer moet dat niet zijn
Cynthia stond lachend
een beetje verder in de rij
Ze zei ik heb het wel gezien
jij hebt een boon voor mij
Ik werd rood
ik stamelde Cynthia alsjeblief
Ze keek achter mijn oren
want tot daar was ik verliefd
Zeester met koffie en een mandarijn
Een boterkoek met confituur
en een stukje marsepein
Hersenen zijn als pudding
die tussen je oren rijpt
Zeester met koffie tot je dat begrijpt
We speelden Tikkertje en Batman
en omdat Cynthia dat soms wou
Ook wel iets romantisch
bijvoorbeeld man en vrouw
Mijn kleine broer beweerde
dat hij priester was
en hij heeft er ons ingeluisd
Hij verbond ons in de echt
maar toen zijn wij verhuisd
Zeester met koffie en een mandarijn
We gingen weg uit Duffel
het lot kan gruwelijk zijn
Ik was een trouweloze hond
zoals dat weleens gaat
Ik droom nog regelmatig
dat haar pa mij op mijn bakkes slaat
Zeester met koffie en een mandarijn
Een gebroken hart met confituur
en meer moet dat niet zijn
Ik heb Cynthia nooit meer terug gezien
wat tactloos is en dom
En het is daarom dat ik principieel
nooit meer in Duffel kom
The song "Zeester Met Koffie" by Bart Peeters tells the story of a group of children lining up for their kindergarten class, with the singer standing in between Bob and Magda, unable to see the rest of the class due to their height. The children were all dressed nicely except for one girl, Cynthia Roos, whose peculiarity was her lunchbox containing luxury food items like zeester with coffee and a mandarin, a cookie with jam, and a piece of marzipan. The song humorously relates how the boy was left smitten with Cynthia, and they even played romantic games like man and wife, albeit with the curious intervention of a younger brother who claimed to be a priest and "married" them.
The lyrics use the innocent and almost dreamlike memories of childhood as a backdrop for a bittersweet reminiscence of the singer's lost love. He admits to having been a fickle lover who moved away without a second thought, only to regret it deeply later in life. The song also plays with the idea that we often overlook what we have until it's gone, as highlighted by the contrast between the mundane lunchboxes of the other students and Cynthia's extravagant meal.
Line by Line Meaning
Duffel halfnegen speelplein van de kleuterklas
The song starts with a nostalgic memory of a time in primary school in Duffel, where students gathered in the playground at half past eight in the morning.
In de rij en Juf katrien keek of iedereen er was
Everyone was in a line waiting to go inside, and the teacher, Juf Katrien, checked if everyone was present.
We waren prachtig gedresseerd goeiemorgen Juf Katrien
The students were all dressed nicely, wearing their school uniform, and greeted the teacher in the morning.
Ik stond tussen Bob en Magda de rest kon ik niet zien
The artist was standing between two of his classmates, Bob and Magda, so he could not see the others in the line.
We waren allemaal doodgewoon behalve Cynthia Roos
All the students were ordinary, except for one girl named Cynthia Roos.
't ging niet om haar gekke naam maar om haar boterhammendoos
People did not find Cynthia's name strange but were more interested in the contents of her lunchbox.
In onze trommels zat gewoon een boterham met ei
The other students had a simple lunch of bread with egg in their lunchboxes.
Maar vroeg je het aan Cynthia weet je wat ze dan zei
However, if you asked Cynthia what she had in her lunch, she would give you a surprising answer.
Zeester met koffie en een mandarijn Een boterkoek met confituur en een stukje marsepein
Cynthia's lunch contained a starfish with coffee, a mandarin, a butter cake with jam, and a piece of marzipan, which fascinated and surprised the other students.
Onze ogen vielen open we waren nog heel klein Zeester met koffie en meer moet dat niet zijn
The artist recalls how amazed and curious he and his classmates were when Cynthia revealed the strange contents of her lunchbox. They thought it was enough to just have a starfish with coffee for lunch.
Cynthia stond lachend een beetje verder in de rij
Cynthia was laughing a little further down the line.
Ze zei ik heb het wel gezien jij hebt een boon voor mij
Cynthia playfully teased the artist by telling him she knew he had a crush on her.
Ik werd rood ik stamelde Cynthia alsjeblief
The singer felt embarrassed and stuttered when Cynthia said that to him.
Ze keek achter mijn oren want tot daar was ik verliefd
Cynthia jokingly looked behind the singer's ears to tease him further because he was only young and not very smart.
We speelden Tikkertje en Batman en omdat Cynthia dat soms wou
The students played a variety of games, including tag and superhero games that Cynthia also liked to join in.
Ook wel iets romantisch bijvoorbeeld man en vrouw
Occasionally, they would also pretend to be in romantic relationships, like playing husband and wife.
Mijn kleine broer beweerde dat hij priester was
The artist's younger brother claimed to be a priest.
en hij heeft er ons ingeluisd
He deceived them into pretending to get married.
Hij verbond ons in de echt maar toen zijn wij verhuisd
The brother pretended to marry them, but soon after, they moved away.
We gingen weg uit Duffel het lot kan gruwelijk zijn
The artist and his family eventually moved away from Duffel, which he now remembers as fate that can be cruel at times.
Ik was een trouweloze hond zoals dat weleens gaat
The artist admits to being unfaithful to Cynthia, which is normal for someone his age.
Ik droom nog regelmatig dat haar pa mij op mijn bakkes slaat
Sometimes, the artist still dreams of Cynthia's dad punishing him for what he did to Cynthia.
Ik heb Cynthia nooit meer terug gezien wat tactloos is en dom
The singer never saw Cynthia again, which he now realizes was insensitive and foolish of him.
En het is daarom dat ik principieel nooit meer in Duffel kom
Because of the bad memory associated with his inability to see Cynthia again, the artist maintains a conscious decision never to return to Duffel again.
Contributed by Sebastian O. Suggest a correction in the comments below.